Phosphorus sorption capacity in relation to soil properties in profiles of sandy soils of the Keta sandspit in Ghana

The sandy soils of Anloga in the Volta region form part of the Keta basin. The soils are infertile and of low productivity but are intensively cultivated for vegetables such as shallot (Allium cepa).  Farmers have augmented the fertility of the soils by adding cow dung and poultry manure for the past seventy years. To study the P dynamics in the soils, three profiles were dug on cultivated (F) and two on uncultivated (U) fields to study P accumulation and sorption after decades of cultivation. The results showed that total P content was 533 mg P kg-1 at the depth of 50cm and below in the F-profiles compared to 416 mg P kg-1 of similar depthof the uncultivated soils, suggesting some movement of P from the surface soil into the subsoil. The maximum P sorption capacity of the U soils was low (92 6 mg kg-1) but higher than those of the F soils (58.8 mg P kg-1). Multiple regression analyses showed that pH and Ca were the two major determinants of P sorption in the soils. The degree of P saturation (DPS) of the surface soils of the cultivated soils was higher than the average critical value of 25% DPS of an arable land but in the lower depths of the cultivated soils, the DPS decreased tremendously below the critical level of 25% which meant that these depths were not saturated well enough to enhance leaching of P to the underground waters

Weight gain, overweight, and obesity: determinants and health outcomes from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

Recent estimates suggest that 35.3\ua0% of adult Australians are overweight and a further 27.5\ua0% are obese. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH) is a prospective study of women's health that commenced in Australia in 1996. The study recruited approximately 40,000 women in three birth cohorts, 1973-1978, 1946-1951 and 1921-1926, who have since been followed up approximately every three years using self-report surveys. Six surveys have been completed to date. This review aims to describe the changes in weight and weight status over time in the three ALSWH cohorts, and to review and summarise the published findings to date relating to the determinants and health consequences of weight gain, overweight and obesity. Future plans for the ALSWH include on-going surveys for all cohorts, with a seventh survey in 2013-2015, and establishment of a new cohort of women born in 1990-1995, which is currently being recruited

Smoke-free policies and non-smokers’ reactions to SHS exposure in small and medium enterprises

Introduction: Non-smoker employees can significantly improve the existing smoke-free policies in the workplace by asserting their right for smoke-free air and confronting smoker colleagues. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological and social drivers of non-smokers' readiness to assert their right for smoke-free air in the workplace. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six small-and-medium enterprises (SME) with diverse background were randomly selected, and 284 employees agreed to participate in the study. Our study focused on the responses of 85 non-smokers (M age = 34 years, SD = 7.98, 84.2% worked in indoor offices). A cross-sectional design was used and participants completed a structured anonymous questionnaire assessing background and demographic characteristics, and psychosocial predictors of assertiveness intentions. Results: Although more than half of non-smokers reported they were often/almost always bothered by exposure to SHS, roughly one third of them reported having asked their colleagues not to smoke at work. Regression analysis showed that the effects of distal predictors (i.e. annoyance due to SHS exposure) were mediated by past behaviour, attitudes (protection motivation beliefs), social norms, and self-efficacy. Conclusions: Health beliefs related to SHS exposure, and concerns about workplace health and job performance, social norms and self-efficacy can increase the assertiveness of non-smokers in workplace settings. Related campaigns should focus on communicating normative messages and self-efficacy training to empower non-smoker employees to act assertively towards protecting their smoke-free rights